1 Word to Describe Every NHL Team At the 2026 Olympic Break
Can you believe the Olympic Games are just about one week away?
As we prepare to see NHL players in action for the first time since Sochi in 2014, it's also a good time to take stock of each NHL team. GMs will use the Olympic roster freeze to make their final assessments ahead of the trade deadline. Why don't we get a little head start with one word to describe every NHL team at the break?
Anaheim Ducks: Hopeful
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After a slump almost large enough to derail their season, the Ducks are hanging on to a Wild Card spot out west since turning it around with an 8-2-0 record in their last 10 games.
Even better? Mason McTavish and Troy Terry just returned to the lineup, and Leo Carlsson should be back not long after the Olympic break. It's encouraging that the team was able to stay afloat without three key offensive players, and it should only be up from here.
Boston Bruins: Whimsical
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Everything just works out for the Boston Bruins, doesn't it? The Fraser Minten trade is the latest revelation for the Bruins, as they've once again fleeced their rival, the Maple Leafs.
The plan was to endure a season missing the playoffs and regroup, but thanks to Minten, Jeremy Swayman's bounceback, Morgan Geekie's dominance, and a healthy blueline, the Bruins look bound for the postseason.
Right on schedule, just like the somehow Superbowl-bound Patriots. What year is it again?
Buffalo Sabres: Convincing
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The problem with the Sabres' past has been an (understandable) lack of existential confidence. These Sabres have started to convince us that they won't completely fall apart -- not just because of some depth scoring and young players putting things together, not just because of Alex Lyon panning out in net, but because of their mindset.
Alex Tuch said it all recently: "We're not just gonna go for the playoffs, we're gonna go for the Cup."
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Calgary Flames: Selling
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The Rasmus Andersson saga is finally over, and after a few years of back-and-forth for the Flames, they're ready to surrender to a rebuild and keep on selling. Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman are two more big names to look out for as we approach the trade deadline.
Carolina Hurricanes: Business-like
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The Hurricanes are a regular-season winning machine at this point, and they're one of the only teams in the league that has maintained a comfortable divisional lead this season. It's always good to bank these points, but we're wondering what their trade deadline will look like as they attempt to finally get past the Eastern Conference Final in this window.
Chicago Blackhawks: Important
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Sure, the roaring start the Blackhawks had fell apart as soon as Connor Bedard got injured, but it was important that it happened anyway. No one expected them to make the playoffs this season, and they're not behind schedule for their recent stumble.
They've got a handful of top prospects almost ready for the NHL, and it was important for Bedard and the young core to get a taste of what the future will look like when everyone's caught up to speed.
Colorado Avalanche: Bored
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The Avalanche have been so dominant, so other-worldly, so much better than most NHL teams all season. Their current "cold streak" (4-5-2 in their last 10) is more a result of a team that knows who it is and needs a few weeks to regroup more than anything else. The Avalanche are just bored, and even in their coldest streak of the season, they remain six points in front of any other team in the league with the No. 1 spot.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Trending
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The Blue Jackets have looked like a different team since Rick Bowness took over as head coach. They're currently on a five-game win streak and 9-1-0 in their last 10.
Will it be enough to sneak into a Wild Card spot? They're still seven points behind the Bruins for WC2 out East, but they're making things interesting as we head into the break.
Dallas Stars: Intensifying
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The Stars have had an impressive run of winning one-goal games recently, and given their inconsistent start to the season, that's exactly what you want to see from one of the best teams in the competitive Central Division.
As the big three in the Central continue to battle it out, we wonder what Stars GM Jim Nill has in store for the trade deadline. Will he go for a Tyler Seguin replacement or shore up the defense?
The Stars don't have a 2026 first-rounder or much to write home about in the prospect department, so their recent successful stretch is even more encouraging, knowing they might not get a huge boost at the trade deadline.
Detroit Red Wings: Phew
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After a stretch of poor play that threatened this team's identity, Monday night's 2-0 win over the cold (but still top of the league) Avalanche was huge for the Red Wings.
This team seems to really ride momentum, so snagging those two points and the good vibes was crucial as the Olympic break approaches.
Edmonton Oilers: Shallow
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The Oilers survived their shaky start, and now they've climbed all the way up to No. 2 in the Pacific. That doesn't mean it's been a walk in the park, though, as too many defensive lapses and a lack of depth scoring have been highlighting some major roster holes recently.
Can they patch things up at the deadline and gear up for another long playoff run?
Florida Panthers: Yikes
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It's been brutal to watch Panthers games this season, but you can't blame them when a handful of key players, including Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, have missed so much time.
Now that Tkachuk is back, can they get back on track? They're nine points out of a playoff spot, and their play isn't exactly urgent enough to match the situation. It might not be as easy for the Panthers to turn things around as it has been in the past.
Los Angeles Kings: Undeserving
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Over the weekend, the LA Kings were essentially in a playoff spot because they lost in overtime 14 times and got a point each time. They were tied with the Mammoth with 60 standing points, but the Mammoth had only lost in overtime four times, so the Mammoth were out of that playoff spot despite having won four more games than the Kings.
Luckily for us, the Mammoth won Monday and is now in the playoff spot. This would be a bit more scathing if it hadn't played out that way.
Minnesota Wild: Contenders
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They did it, folks, the Wild climbed out of their disastrous start to the season, grabbed Quinn Hughes along the way, and have now passed the Stars for the coveted No. 2 spot in the Central.
Hughes has been the perfect fit as the team has developed consistency. Now all Minnesota needs is a savvy ploy for a center at the deadline. You have to do anything you can to make it out of a Central Division this tight.
Montreal Canadiens: Good
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After some ups and downs, it's safe to declare the Montreal Canadiens "good" as we head into the Olympic break. They've been able to turn several nagging problems around as of late -- most notably, goaltending. Jakub Dobeš has picked it back up, even against high-scoring teams. Some special teams and bottom-six help could easily take this squad from good to great.
Nashville Predators: Twist
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The Predators threw us a big plot twist ahead of the Olympic Break as Barry Trotz stepped down as GM on Monday.
"After working for 40 years in professional sports and 26 years in the National Hockey League, including the past three as the general manager of the Nashville Predators, I told Bill Haslam in December that I would be stepping away at the conclusion of my contract at the end of the 2026-27 season," Trotz said in a news release. "After some discussion, we elected to begin a search for my replacement now, but I am happy to work in my current role until we make a new hire, however long that might be."
We'll see if he's at the helm by the trade deadline -- it's a big one for the Predators, who need to decide if they're true sellers or not.
New Jersey Devils: Disaster
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The Devils started the year hovering around the top of the league, but things instantly fell apart after Jack Hughes' off-ice injury. Morale dipped even lower when GM Tom Fitzgerald botched the Quinn Hughes trade, and rumors circulated about trading Dougie Hamilton.
As it stands, they're one of the lowest-scoring teams this season and one of the biggest disappointments. They've shown us over the last two injury-ridden seasons that they're going to need more firepower on offense -- and more depth all around -- to make things work.
New York Islanders: Thriving
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We expected 2025 first overall pick Matthew Schaefer to have an immediate impact on the Islanders, but his seamless transition into the NHL has exceeded even our highest expectations. Between Schaefer, Bo Horvat, and Ilya Sorokin returning to elite form in net, the Islanders look headed for the playoffs in Schaefer's first NHL season.
New York Rangers: Unrecognizable
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It turns out all of last year's quick, drastic changes didn't do much to actually improve the team.
Granted, Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox are two crucial pieces that have missed significant time. Still, it looks like the Rangers will be selling Artemi Panarin and more at the deadline, and they're going to look even more unrecognizable in a few weeks.
Ottawa Senators: Confusing
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It's hard to know what to make of the Senators, as they struggled all around early on -- especially in net. But Brady Tkachuk is back from injury and has finally warmed up, and Linus Ullmark is back from a personal leave and playing the best hockey he has all season.
There might be something here. This four-game win streak isn't a bad start.
Philadelphia Flyers: Disappointing
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The jury isn't totally out on the Flyers' season just yet, but the past few weeks have been a test they've failed. When they needed to push and show us what they are actually made of, they went 2-6-2, with many of the heavy hitters not showing up the way they needed to. They're still a few pieces away from playoff contention.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Huh?
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Who woulda thunk the Penguins would be sitting at No. 2 in the Metropolitan Division in February? Weren't these guys supposed to be tanking for Gavin McKenna? Leave it to Sidney Crosby to avoid a tank and take matters into his own hands -- he leads the team with 27 goals and 58 points in 54 games.
San Jose Sharks: Interesting
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Led by Macklin Celebrini's thrilling season, the Sharks have made themselves an interesting team headed into the deadline. The rebuild isn't done, but they're just three points out of a Wild Card spot out West.
They picked up Kiefer Sherwood as a forward acquisition that could help them now and later, and all eyes are on them at the deadline while we wait and see if they'll grab a defenseman that could do the same.
Seattle Kraken: Consistent
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We've criticized the Kraken for being a bit boring, needing more star power, and lacking flash on offense. In a season like this, though, where things are drastically changing in the standings on a daily basis, boring is good. The Kraken have quietly held on to the No. 3 spot in the Pacific. It's been tight, but they're built not to panic.
St. Louis Blues: Sad
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What a depressing season it's been for the Blues. We thought they might follow up last year's thrilling playoff series against the Jets with a little more spunk, but they quickly ran out of gas after the first few weeks of the season and never really revved the engine back up.
It's time for GM Doug Armstrong to unleash some of these expensive contracts.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Thrilling
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With the Avalanche going cold, the electric Lightning are the best team in the league, headed into the Olympic break. They've got a little bit of everything: Resilience in the face of injury, depth, Andrei Vasilevskiy (and his fists), and another Jack Adams campaign from Jon Cooper.
In a division that has been difficult to read, the Lightning have given us an actual measuring stick of a good team.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Brutal
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We won't depress you with the rise of Minten, but that situation aside, the Leafs are in a brutal spot heading into the break.
They're seven points out of a Wild Card spot out East, and they aren't prepared to go into selling mode -- they've got nothing to sell. They might have a chance to squeak into a Wild Card spot if they continue the recent positive trend, but they're going to need help we're not sure they can get it at the deadline.
Utah Mammoth: Fair
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In a division full of loser point frauds, we respect the Mammoth for winning most of their games fair and square (and only racking up four loser points). Their recent consistency has them in the No. 1 Wild Card spot out West in a very tight race. Can they hang on?
It's tough to imagine this team making a long playoff run, given how top-heavy the Western Conference is. Perhaps this is the time to buy smart for the long run, make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, and take a big deadline swing next season.
Vancouver Canucks: (Redacted)
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Thatcher Demko? Injured again?!
There really isn't much else to say about the Canucks at this point, who are looking to unload and scout the top picks at the 2026 NHL Draft.
On the bright side, Vancouver is a lovely city.
Vegas Golden Knights: Fine
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The Golden Knights have been good enough for No. 1 in the Pacific, but are they really as good as we anticipated? They've struggled to close out games, apparently don't care about winning in overtime, and are nearly 20 points behind the Avalanche in the standings. That's what a long-term Mark Stone injury can do to the clutchness of your club.
They won the Rasmus Andersson sweepstakes -- and Stone is healthy -- so let's give them a few post-Olympic break games and see if Vegas is back to dominating.
Washington Capitals: Mid
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The Washington Capitals might be the most "meh" team in the league this season. Logan Thompson is putting up heroic goaltending performances to keep them in the playoff race, but he's out. The offense has struggled immensely. The Capitals have been clear about going for a scoring winger at the deadline, though, so they could be an interesting team to keep tabs on in the Artemi Panarin sweepstakes.
Winnipeg Jets: Ugly
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Hey, at least the Jets won't be blowing it in the playoffs if they don't make the playoffs? Might be the smartest move Kevin Cheveldayoff has made in a minute.
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